“Hire Django Developers: Freelancers vs Agencies”

If you’re a business owner looking to hire Django developers remotely and aren’t sure which to choose — freelancers or a software development company — you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss how to find and hire Django developers and how to differentiate a great developer from the rest. We’ll also outline the benefits and risks of working with freelancers and dedicated teams and conclude with some tips on how to outsource staffing.

Where to find Django developers

Of course, you may be familiar with your local development companies. But the Python/Django community is spread across more than 150 countries, and you can easily access this vast talent pool if you visit the top marketplaces to hire Python/Django developers. These marketplaces let you create a job listing or walk you through a questionnaire in order to match you with available Django developers. Some sites may require you to create an account; others may need your contact information so they can get in touch for more details.

Portfolio of Django-related projects

A portfolio says a lot about a developer’s experience and technical proficiency. It allows you to see what types of projects they’ve worked on and whether they have the skills you’re after. If a developer has already built a project similar to yours, they can probably deliver for you as well.

Generally, freelance websites allow you to view a developer’s portfolio on their profile. Software development agencies usually have a projects page on their website where they show off what they’ve built. In case studies, companies outline product features, technologies and tools used, and problems encountered during development.

Real feedback from previous clients

Another important factor in selecting the best developers is feedback from previous clients. Get to know whether a company or a freelance developer met the expectations of past clients in terms of development, collaboration, and beyond.

Toptal shows feedback and ratings from previous clients on a developer’s profile. Upwork shows work history along with client reviews. Additionally, Upwork differentiates top freelancers from the rest by giving top-ratedstatus to those whose job success score is 90% or above. Clutch collects client testimonials for every Clutch-registered company. PeoplePerHour shows client feedback along with job descriptions.

Technical proficiency and soft skills

Pay special attention to a developer’s technical skills. These are some of the must-have skills for a Django developer:

Python. Django is written in Python, and your candidate should have a solid knowledge of this programming language and follow object-oriented programming (OOP) principles. The basic ideas behind Python and OOP are classes and objects.

Django. There’s hardly a project that Python/Django developers write from scratch due to the availability of Python frameworks. Since your project will be powered by the Django framework, your developer should know Django and be passionate about it.

Object-relational mapper. Django connects applications to databases through an object-relational mapper (ORM). It’s easier to connect an application to a database through an ORM than through SQL.

Multi-process architecture. The ability to correctly write and manage threads and processes is key to developing high-performance applications.

RESTful APIs.Understanding how to use RESTful APIs is necessary to integrate your application with other components.

Python applications. A Python developer should know how to package code for release and deployment.

Apart from technical skills, good Django & Python programmers should have certain soft skills. You can evaluate a candidate’s soft skills during an interview or by asking their previous clients.

At Steelkiwi, we consider these the most important soft skills for software developers:

Communication. Whoever you choose ― whether a freelancer or an outsourced development team ― look for great communication skills. Software developers don’t spend all their time programming. They should be able to discuss the product vision, ideas, and technical details clearly in writing and verbally. Poor communication can be the cause of ineffective development, bad code, and a product that doesn’t live up to your expectations.

Motivation. The secret of high-quality products isn’t only talented coders. Developers should be enthusiastic and dedicated to your project development.

Responsibility and time management. Developers should be able to manage their time, prioritize tasks, and meet your product timeline.

Problem-solving. Developers should be able to make critical decisions and find solutions to problems.

Interviewing Django developers

Once you’ve selected the best candidates for your Python/Django position, it’s time for an interview, either in-person or by video. During an interview, you should make sure a freelance developer or software development agency has the technical and soft skills required to make your project a reality.

To find a Django developer that suits your project, you need to base your technical questions on your project requirements. Include theoretical as well as practical questions. This will help you see a candidate’s actual level of technical proficiency and whether they’re ready to do real-world tasks.

Read more: Learn what interview questions to ask and test assignments to give to assess a Django developer’s technical and soft skills.

Note: If you aren’t technical, we suggest that you leave the technical interview to a consultant.

Benefits and risks of hiring a Django agency

It’s important to consider the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer versus an agency to better understand who’s right for you. We’ll start with the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing to an agency.

Advantages of hiring an agency

Long-term collaboration. Your cooperation with a software development team isn’t limited to development. You can work together for continuous support, updates, bug fixes, and scaling.

Within a dedicated team, a product manager creates a timeline for product development, breaks down tasks, assigns roles, and makes sure everything goes as planned. Therefore, you can speed up the project workflow and get on-time delivery. In addition, a product manager handles regular communication between you and the team so you can stay updated on the progress. There are great collaboration software development agencies use to make communication smooth and easy. At Steelkiwi, we use Skype, Slack, Hangouts, and email.

If you’re new to software development, it can be difficult to manage the scope of your product. An agency can help you define your project requirements.

Get a full cycle of services including design, development, quality assurance, and deployment. An agency can also analyze and evaluate your business idea.

A chief operating officer (COO) can create a team based on your specific business needs so you get developers with the most relevant expertise.

Disadvantages of hiring an agency

Generally, you pay more for your product development if you hire a software development company. Yet agency rates vary greatly depending on the region. A lot of business owners decide to work with companies in Eastern Europe since countries such as Ukraine and Poland are known for their low-cost yet high-quality development.

Benefits and risks of hiring a Django freelance developer

To get a full picture, we should also consider some positives and negatives of outsourcing your development to a freelancer.

Advantages of hiring a freelancer

A freelancer doesn’t have specific operating hours, so they can build a flexible schedule that suits your needs.

Usually, you’ll pay a freelancer less than a development company for the same job.

You’re likely to find a specialist who has the expertise required for one specific task and has done a lot of projects similar to yours.

Thanks to relevant matching and rating systems on freelance platforms, a good freelance developer isn’t difficult to find.

Disadvantages of hiring a freelancer

There’sno guarantee that the freelancer will do their job fairly unless the freelance platform offers some kind of time tracking tools.

Freelancers generally collaborate on a short-term basis. Usually, you hire a freelancer for a limited time, and they may not be available when you need them later on.

If you need anyone else on your team alongside a Django developer, you’ll have to find them by yourself.

You need to manage your product development on your own.

Infographic: 7 differences between freelancers and agencies as Django developers:

source: steelkiwi.com

Tips from Steelkiwi: How to make your Django hiring process a success, or what to do as a client

As we’ve already screened, interviewed, and hired lots of Django developers, we’d like to share some useful tips on how to make the right hire:

Take your time. Don’t rush just to fill your Django position. Search carefully and remember that the wrong hire can be a costly mistake.

Set a clear goal. When hiring, it’s important to clearly realize your objectives for development. What do you expect your freelancer or dedicated team to achieve? The clearer the goals you outline, the more suited your hire will be.

Be realistic. Have down-to-earth expectations regarding the amount of work developers can do, deadlines, and money.

Summary: A Django freelance developer or an agency

Check out some main requirements for projects to make a final decision on whether a freelance developer or an agency is right for you.

Does your project need...?

Agency

Freelancer

Does your project need...?Future improvements

Agency+

Freelancer-

Does your project need...?Continuous support

Agency+

Freelancer-

Does your project need...?Project manager

Agency+

Freelancer-

Does your project need...?To fit in a relatively tight budget

Agency-

Freelancer+

Does your project need...?Multiple specialists

Agency+

Freelancer-

Does your project need...?To be small and short-term

Agency-

Freelancer+

Does your project need...?To be large and complex

Agency+

Freelancer-

If you have any questions on how to hire freelancers or dedicated teams or if you want a free consultation from Steelkiwi, feel free to message us.